The only remaining covered bridge in the State of South Carolina, this 38 foot long pine structure…read morespans Beaverdam Creek. The bridge and the area around it is part of a passive park owned by Greenville County. It was built in 1909 by Charles Irwin Willis (1878-1966) and is a four-span Howe truss, featuring diagonal timbers and vertical iron rods. It is named for Alexander Lafayette Campbell (1836-1920) who owned and operated a grist mill here. The foundations of the mill and home site are still here to be explored. Ample parking and several picnic tables in the shade make this into a great stop for lunch. When the water isn't running to quickly, there's nothing wrong with dipping your feet into the creek to cool off. There are several signs about so that you can learn about the area. [Review 14940 overall, 442 of 2021, number 811 in South Carolina.]

super cute and small little park all centered around the bridge! I probably wouldn't go an hour out…read moreof my way to come, but if you are passing through, it's pretty neat. Make sure your kids wear clothes they can get wet! The little river under the bridge is unique with lots of smooth rock. FYI, it only gets mid calf deep, so it's not really a swimming hole.

Definitely not a tourist spot because it's located behind private property. Multiple of signs that…read moresay no trespassing, yet the rope was down and there was fresh tire marks on the gravel before I got there. It's about a 0.6 mile drive up a very gravel, windy road to the dam. Only one car can fit the road so once you drive up to the dam, you have to carefully reverse your car to make a save U-turn. This place hasn't been taken care of in years. The trees are so high and leafy that you can't get a clear view of the dam. You can definitely hear it and feel the mist. It was honestly worth the drive for me, coming from Orlando. We don't get much dams or don't have any dams at all. I hope this place gets taken care of soon. It's too beautiful to pass up, but also so dangerous to risk driving up the gravel. The neighbors will definitely eye your car when driving to the dam. A beautiful sight to see though with the farm land and mountains.

CASCADE LAKE DAM FALLS is probably one of the most amazing dam overflows you may ever witness…read more Without a doubt there are far larger and more impressive dam overflows around the country and the world... but for a small lake dam in the back woods of North Carolina, it is TRULY SPECTACULAR!!! One of the things that makes it so outstanding is the natural setting it is located. Part of the dam uses the natural cliff surrounding it, giving it a little character when the waterflow is high or low. PRO TIP - There is a sign posted saying no trespassing near one of the two goat trails to the top of the dam from the road, so you might want to think twice about climbing down. However, if you do there IS a metal rope to help with the steepness of the trail on the right. Just know the dam is easily photographed from the road without illegally trespassing, although I don't quite understand how it is trespassing when you can literally kayak to the dam from Hooker Falls! [ THE LAKE ] The dam is said to have been built more than 100 years ago and the surrounding property has been owned and managed by the same family for most of that time. A battle over the will & testament of Charles Pickelsimer has left the lake, dam and even a campground in peril. Some websites say the dam is in need of inspection, but nothing has been done as the court battle raged on between Pickelsimer's children whom contested parts of the will. Charlie's father is said to have built the dam as well as started an electric and telephone company. You can still see an old wooden tube now damaged and decayed, but once upon a time it send massive amounts of water downstream to a mid-1900's hydro-power plant. [ THINGS TO KNOW ] Total Hiking Distance: 0 miles (roadside) Difficulty: Easy to see from the right spot on the road Creek Crossings: NO Elevation Gain: n/a Waterfall Height: 40-50 feet approx. Access to top of falls: YES (but may be considered trespassing) Access to base of falls: NO Pool of water @ base of Falls: YES Sitting areas @ base: NO RESTROOMS: NO PARKING: YES (room for about 2 cars along road) [ FINAL THOUGHTS ] CASCADE LAKE is where all the water from nearby Hooker, High and Triple Falls flows to become impounded by CASCADE LAKE DAM. It inevitably continuing its journey down Little River and eventually joins the massive French Broad River that flows through the heart of Asheville! From there it makes it to the great Tennessee River and butterflies kisses the Northwestern tip of Georgia before eventually releasing into the Mighty Mississippi and then Gulf of New Mexico. Just a fun little geography journey for those of you who wonder about the "Eastern Continental Divide" signs scattered throughout the area. All the water that falls on the east side of the divide flows toward the Atlantic Ocean while all the water on the western side of the divide flows toward the Gulf of New Mexico. 2021 / 49

Very nice place. You'll see chickens, goats, and even friendly cat here. Friendly and polite staff…read more Definitely worth taking a tour of the house. Very interesting!

Nice historic property, informative self tour of the property. Chickens and goats! You can go visit…read morethe lady goats and brush and pet them. Pretty nice place with friendly volunteers to give you the details of the historic property. All the lovely goats are descendants of Mrs Sandbergs Goats!!!

It's a cute bridge that is behind a fence on private property. I opted not to risk trespassing and…read morephotographed the bridge from the road. It is open to traffic in the neighborhood, apparently. The bridge was built in 2000 by Don Spann and covers a drainage ditch near Look Away Farm. It got the name from the sound it makes as you drive over the bridge. [Review 20004 overall - 1089 in South Carolina - 979 of 2023.]

Located at the border, this marker points out one of the landmarks that helped point out where…read moreNorth Carolina and South Carolina meet. It is on the side of the road with the "Welcome to..." signs in sight. The marker reads, "The Block House Early landmark, western terminus of the 1772 boundary survey between N.C. and S.C. Stood 1/2 mile east." This is marker number O-38 and there is more information online, " As early as 1750, the Block House site stood as a prominent landmark along the North Carolina - South Carolina line, although technically 300 feet within South Carolina. In 1756, the house itself was constructed as a trading post and soon thereafter was modified into a fortification by local settlers during the French and Indian War. Twenty years later, militia Captain Thomas Howard reportedly used the building as a staging ground for an attack on the Cherokee." There is space to pull over and view the marker and to visit the Block House itself. [Review 20006 overall - 3447 in North Carolina - 981 of 2023.]

Quaint town. Expensive boutique shops. Very faith based community…read more It has a very Main Street USA feel to it. In my opinion, not a lot of great restaurants, so they need to work on that. However McFarlane's bakery is amazing! Asheville is not far, so you can always enjoy the Biltmore and the other attractions in that area. There are better restaurants in that area, but they are usually more crowded and can be expensive also.

Downtown Hendersonville is a great downtown to spend some time in. Paid parking lots are available…read morein different area, and there are some free places to park. The first thing you will notice downtown is the bears. They are all over the place and each is so unique. The bears are auctioned off each fall to provide money to charities. It is an easy downtown to walk around with plenty of crosswalks and benches to rest and watch your surroundings. Downtown has numerous restaurants; shops; museums; art galleries to keep you busy. Festivals appear to be held throughout the year as well. An antique show was occurring while I was downtown. I liked the setup that Main Street was closed but the side streets were still open to traffic.

This marker is on state road 108 which is also the Overmountain Victory Trail. It commemorates the…read moremilitary group that helped turn the tide of the Revolutionary War with a decisive victory at nearby Kings Mountain. The marker reads, "On Oct. 5, 1780, about 1400 militia, including many riflemen, camped 1 mi. S. at Alexander's Ford and there turned toward Kings Mountain." Online, there is more information. "Some of the best Patriot riflemen were the Overmountain Men encamped at Alexander's Ford. They were preparing to proceed onward to meet the British and Tory forces in Ninety-Six, South Carolina. With the arrival of new intelligence describing the whereabouts of Major Patrick Ferguson's force, the Overmountain Men changed their course and headed toward the Charlotte, North Carolina area. This decision ensured that Patriot forces during the Battle of King's Mountain possessed some of the best riflemen in a turning point battle. From then on, revolutionary forces had the upper hand in the Southern theater of war." This is marker number O-84 and it was erected in 2021 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. There is enough room on this quiet road to stop and read the marker. [Review 677 of 2025 - 4157 in North Carolina - 24238 overall]

This marker near the center of Rutherfordton points out some financial history. Prior to the gold…read morestrike in California of 1849, North Carolina was the largest producer of gold in the nation. The marker reads, "Established 1831, four miles N., by Christopher Bechtler. Later stood at this point. Minted more than $2¼ million in gold. Closed about 1849." From 1803 to around 1848, North Carolina had about fifty active mines and was the country's top producer of gold. The majority of the state's gold was either employed in the arts or circulated under private stamps, avoiding the U.S. Mint. In 1831, metalworkers Christopher Bechtler and his family opened a private mint close to Rutherfordton. They created the first $1 gold coin in the country using locally sourced and refined gold. Bechtler's coins gave the area vital financial support. The mint was run by his son Augustus and then his nephew after the elder Bechtler passed away in 1842. It closed in 1849 after producing over $2.25 million worth of currency. This is marker number O-16 and it was erected in 2002 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. [Review 676 of 2025 - 4156 in North Carolina - 24237 overall]